Thievius Warlock
by TheBluePaperDragon
Summary: When a new detective is appointed to the Warlock case the researcher Merlin is dragged with his partner to help the team. Now Merlin has a problem. He is the Warlock. How is he going to help the police catch himself without getting himself caught?
1. Chapter 0: Warlock

**Hello dear readers**

 **I have been holding on to this story for some time now so here it is. I hope you like it.**

 **I don't own Merlin.**

 **Now onto the story.**

 **Onwards and upwards!**

* * *

Leon scratched his head as he read the notice once again. The phantom thief he had been chasing for a long time was going to steal another old scroll. It was said to contain a spell with the ability to turn day to night and back again. However, that was just an old rumour. Magic was the stuff of fairy tales and legends. It doesn't exist. It was something people back in the days believed in and as people started to get more educated and science took a hold faded into the stuff of legends. Leon still held no clue as to why a thief would only steal things that were rumoured to be magical.

Though Leon still knew almost nothing about the thief. The thief called himself the Warlock and addressed Leon as Sir Leon. He was just a detective nothing else, not a knight. But there was almost nothing. The Warlock never left behind evidence, he gave himself his name and always wore a black cloak that covered his face. They didn't even know what gender the thief was. Some claimed that the Warlock was a man because of how the notice was written while others claimed that the handwriting was that of a woman. The speculations ran wild.

Two nights later:

Suddenly the lights went out in the Charity Centre. Leon fumbled to turn on the flashlight he had brought with him. However, before he could turn it on the lights turned on again. There he was the cloaked figure known as the Warlock standing before the old scroll. "Stop right there" Leon yelled running towards the thief. The thief stood still for a short moment before turning around. "Good evening Sir Leon," he said taking a step towards the detective. Leon slowed down as he neared the thief. "Why so polite?" Leon asked slowly moving towards him. The plan was working. "You know how I am, detective," he said, "I might be a thief but that does not mean that I have forgotten my manners." Leon raised an eyebrow at the thief's remark. "Of course," he agreed with the warlock "But why steal?" Before Leon questioned him.

Leon could swear that the Warlock smirked under the dark hood. "Though magic is now the stuff of legends. The stories do not make it less real. This world doesn't believe and therefore it is in danger. I handle the artefacts so none of you get hurt" he told and placed his hands on where his hips were. Leon only just noticed that he had not heard or seen any of the others since the lights went out. The Warlock took the end of his cloak and pulled it up in front of his face. As the cloak moved over his body the Warlock was gone. Leon ran to see if the scroll was still there but as the Warlock, it was gone. How could he do that? Was it magic? Like in the legends or just tricks like all magicians nowadays? There was no way it could be magic. It had to be a trick. Magic couldn't be real.

Leon walked around the complex trying to figure out what had happened. He found all his colleges asleep on their posts. Each one had a letter addressed to him stuck to their faces. They were even numbered. When he had woken them all they went back to their office. There he opened the letters and read them.

"Hello, Sir Leon,

As you know I am the Warlock the phantom thief that you have been chasing for a while now.

I am sorry to inform you that we will not be seeing each other again. I noticed one day when I was placing a notice in your office that they will soon get a new leader for my case. A new team. While I did enjoy playing with you and your team, it will be interesting to see how this new team handles my case.

-Warlock"

Leon looked around. How could the Warlock be so sure that they were going to be replaced? He then reached for the next letter and started reading.

"Sir Leon,

Do you remember what I told you last time we met? The things I told you about magic?

Probably but then again maybe not. However, whether you believe me or not I will save you from the cursed objects when needed as I have been doing since we met for the first time.

-Warlock"

He picked up the next letter without saying anything.

"Sir Leon,

As I am already writing to you I thought that I would give you the next notice.

In the evening when the night lights up,

You will find yourself frozen in front of it staring at them

And at 21.00 it will be gone

-Warlock

* * *

 **How did you like the start? Why not drop a review and tell me?**

 **Hear you later**


	2. Chapter 1: The New Team

Leon walked in the door with a pile of files in his hands. "Here you go detective," he said putting the files on the table in front of Arthur. "These are all the files we have gathered on the Warlock and the things he stole" Arthur nodded already reading the one with specific facts on the thief. "How can it be that you don't even have an idea about how the thief looks?" Arthur asked the older detective. Leon had been the leader of the Warlock case for years but because the Warlock had gotten away too many times the case had been given to Arthur. So that there would be fresh eyes on the facts. The higher ups thought that it might help catch this thief.

"Well, we know that the Warlock is always wearing the same black cloak. His face is covered by the hood but the way he moves makes it seem like he is young" Leon told "If you have any questions or need help with anything you know how to contact me" Arthur nodded and Leon left the office. Now all Arthur had to do was get a team together. He already had someone to help to hold the offices and the floor they would be working on a little clean. Guinevere was amazing at keeping things in order and the coffee she made was simply the best. When he told her about him being the lead on the warlock case she congratulated him. That was just before he asked her to join the team. Without hesitation, she said yes to the offer and that was the first member of his new team. Next, he needed some detective to have his back in the field and a couple of researchers to track whatever clues he found.

When he had finished reading the first file he stood up and walked out to ask his friends to join the team. He knew that he could trust these guys and to him, it made sense to hire people he trusted. As far as he knew this case was not dangerous but he could know. The thief had never hurt anybody before but who knew what would happen if he was forced into a corner. Most people even professionals could change when under such pressure and for a criminal it could mean life or death. As he walked to the elevator he started to think about who the researchers should be. He knew what detective but he had no idea of any good researchers. Maybe his friends did.

"Lancelot, Elyan and Percival I would like to talk to the three of you," Arthur said as he poked his head into the room where the three of them were sitting. They seemed to be on break. They looked at Arthur and went with him. "What do you want to talk to us about," Lancelot asked the other detective. "I would like to add you to my new team," Arthur told the three "I am the new lead on the Warlock case and I need some people to have my back when I am out in the field. This is a big thing to ask you so if you need..." Arthur was interrupted by Lancelot who said "Of course we are going to join you" and the others nodded. "When and where do we move our things?" Percival asked as they were about to leave and Arthur smiled and told them where and when.

Later the same day Arthur went to meet some of the best researchers that he could manage to find. He went inside and said, "Hello I am Detective Arthur Pendragon and I am looking for Gwaine and Merlin". Two young men turned their heads and looked at him. The first one had shoulder length brown hair. He introduced himself as Gwaine and then the other young man with hair as black as the night introduced himself as Merlin. "I have heard that the two of you are the best despite how you act" That was when Gwaine got an elbow in his side. "Ow," Gwaine exclaimed and looked at Merlin and then asked, "Why did you do that?" Merlin looked at his fellow researcher and said "You are always getting us into trouble" That made a smile appear on Gwaine's face. "Your life would be so dull without me" he stated and all Merlin could do was sigh. There was nothing he could say to make him change his mind.

"I would like to have you permanently on my case" Arthur said to the two researchers "You will have your own office next to mine but I cannot say how many hours a day you will be working" The two of them looked at each other and then Merlin asked "What case are you working on?" Arthur replied "I am the new lead on the Warlock case" as Arthur replied to the question the dark-haired researcher seemed to freeze up for a moment. "The case with the phantom thief?" Gwaine asked the detective. He nodded and Gwaine said, "We are in!" Not even giving Merlin a chance to say anything. "Here is the address and the floor you will work on," Arthur told them "See you tomorrow" then he left.

Later:

"Gaius I have bad news," Merlin told his guardian as soon as he entered the door. "What happened this time," Gaius asked the younger man. "I have become a researcher on my own case," Merlin told as he sat down. "I know this is not a good thing but Gwaine said yes before I could do anything. Then we were told where to meet and the detective left"

Gaius sent Merlin a smile. "At least you will never have to wonder how close they are to finding out who you are" he pointed out "And if there is anything that is dangerous for you it will be easier to get rid of it" Merlin lighted up a little. "Well that is true" he agreed and took a sip of the tea Gaius had made him. That was when the older man started finding a file of paper and handed them to Merlin. "This will be our next target," He said and pointed to a picture on one of the papers. This was an old leather-bound book with old writings on it. "It is said that the person who touches the book with bare hands will be possessed by the former owner," he told as he sat down once more. "The first owner was an old man who made a pact with a dark spirit. It would give him the power of a sorcerer and all the spells available to mankind in a book. However, it failed to inform him that when he died his soul would be trapped in the book"

Merlin nodded and took another sip. "So how do I get the book without getting possessed by the old man?" He asked his guardian. That was when the older man's eyes glowed golden and the book flew from the shelf near them. "This book contains a spell that will keep souls from entering the body and one that forces it out of a body" Gaius said with the book in hand "You will have to learn both spells and hope that nobody touches the book" with that Merlin took all the papers and the book and went to his room. Now was the time to plan the heist, write the notice and learn the spells.


	3. Chapter 2: The Notice

The next day:

"Detective is there anything you want us to do?" Merlin asked Arthur who sat at his desk reading the old files on the case. He looked up at Merlin and it took him a second to get what had been asked of him. "Y-yes I would like for you to get all evidence from detective Leon and make sure that all of it is physically there and on the computer" He requested and went back to reading. "Yes sir," Merlin said as he saluted before leaving the office. Guinevere entered Arthur's office with a cup of coffee in her hand. "I thought that you would need something to keep you going," she said leaving the cup with hot coffee on his desk.

Arthur was still head deep in all the files and there was barely anything on how the thief looked like. Most of the files were backgrounds on the artefacts he had stolen and all his tricks. The thief seemed smarter than most people Arthur had met until now. Even the notices were clever. They often played on the backgrounds of the thing he was going to steal and when he would steal them. However, there was one thing the young detective had noticed. The Warlock always addressed the notice to the lead on the case but it was never to detective Leon but to Sir Leon. As if the former leader had been a knight.

"I wonder why he addresses Leon as if he was a knight," Arthur asked himself not noticing the raven-haired researcher behind the door.

Merlin smiled at himself. Detective prat was not the brightest so this would be easier than before. Leon had been a good lead but he never had the chance to catch Merlin. However, that did not mean that Merlin could slack off. If he was not careful even he might make a mistake big enough for the prat to be able to catch him and that could never happen. He left the detective in his office and went back to work. After he was done he had some stuff to do at home.

When Arthur looked up from the files he noticed that the sun had set. He started packing his thing to go home when he noticed a letter laying on the ground. Guinevere would never leave anything on the floor and if she had dropped it she would have gone back and gotten it. He left his things on the desk and picked up the letter. His name was written on the envelope. Or rather someone had written King Arthur on it.

He opened the envelope and read:

As the moon turns white as snow

On the second bell after dark

Down written wisdom

And deceiving shadows

Will be gone

-Warlock

Arthur went to his back to get his phone and call everyone back to work. The Warlock had announced his next target and when he would try to steal it. "Lancelot! Can you gather the other detectives?" Arthur asked when his friend picked up the phone. "What happened Arthur?" Lancelot asked before agreeing to anything. His voice seemed concerned. "The Warlock has sent a notice," Arthur told and Lancelot replied "Got it" and hung up. After that Arthur called the researchers and Guinevere back to the office.

"Couldn't this have waited until tomorrow?" Gwaine asked scratching his head as he walked in the door. "The faster we find out what, when and where this is going to take place the faster we can make a trap for this thief" Arthur answered the half-asleep researcher. "Gwaine you were the one who accepted his offer" Merlin mentioned without looking away from his computer.

"What does everybody make of this?" Arthur asked them all. Lancelot was the first to say anything. "Down written wisdom could be an old scroll or a book" he mentioned. "What about the thing with the moon," Percival asked looking out the window "The moon is white every night" The detective could not take his eyes off the bright moon. Then Merlin asked, "What kind of things does the Warlock usually steal?" Arthur answered "Usually things that are said to be magical" He looked at the raven-haired researcher. He had turned to his computer.

"It seems that there are three old magical books and two magical scrolls on display during this week and none for the next two weeks," Merlin told the team and then asked them "How do you want me to reduce the search?" That was when Elyan said "The notice said something about a deceiving shadow. How about checking the stories of the books and scrolls?" Merlin nodded and said "That is a good idea. I can work with that" before turning back to his computer.

Gwaine yawned as he read the notice again. "The second bell after dark could be two hours after the sun has set," he said as Guinevere entered the room with a tray full of coffee. "Here is something to keep all of you awake," she said and placed the tray in the middle of the table. Arthur was the first to take one. Then Merlin once again looked up from his computer and said "There is one book that has a background story where the first owner made a deal with a spirit and got magical powers and the book. However, when he died the spirit took his body and his soul was trapped in the book. It is called Shadows Wisdom" Merlin told and Arthur looked a little more relaxed. "Now we at least know what the thief is after. Where is it on display?" Merlin answered "At the Centre of Ancient Artefacts"

"Now we know that the Warlock will steal a book called Shadows Wisdom at the Centre of Ancient Artefacts" the young lead said "Now we need to find out when" That is when the brown-haired researcher said "I checked the moon phases and there is a full moon in three days and if we take my idea that the second bell after dark is two hours after the sun sets the thief will steal the book Friday at 19.51 or something like that" The other members of the team looked at Gwaine. They were surprised at how much he had done. "Is it normal for Gwaine to go from one extreme to another?" Lancelot asked Merlin "Yeah, he goes from a complete idiot to less of an idiot," Merlin told and Gwaine looked hurt. "How could you say that?" He asked with an overdramatic tone. That made Merlin roll his eyes. Gwaine continued to act hurt and the other started to laugh. That was when Arthur asked Merlin "Is this why the people told me that despite how you look the two of you are the best" a smiled formed om Merlin's lips. "Yes that is why"


	4. Chapter 3: Arthur and the Warlock

**Greetings lovely people who are reading this story.**

 **I'm not dead but I got sick and am in the middle of exams so that's why there haven't been any chapters for a while.**

 **I don't own Merlin.**

 **Now onto the story. Upwards and onwards!**

* * *

Three days later the detectives were at the Centre where the Warlock would attempt to steal the book. Guinevere and the researcher were not needed for this part of the job. It was almost time for the Warlock to appear and everything was ready. Lancelot was watching the security cameras while Elyan was standing on the roof so that nobody could get in or out that way. Percival was guarding the stairs and the elevators on the floor where the book was displayed. That made it so that Arthur was the only one guarding the book.

They all had a walkie-talkie so that even though they were not near each other they could talk. "There is no sign of anybody near the stairs over," said Percival as he walked up and down the hall. All the lights were on so they would be able to see if anybody was there. "You just keep your guard up over" Arthur answered and looked around the room and before asking "Lancelot how is everything on your end? Over" There was no answer at first but then the detective said "For now I do not see anything out of the ordinary. Over" Elyan added "The roof is empty over"

An hour earlier:

"Do you have everything?" Gaius asked sounding like a concerned mother. Merlin smiled as he put on the dark cloak. "Of course, I do" he reassured the older man "I learned the spells, planned how to get in and out and cast the spell that protects me from being possessed" He gave Gaius a hug and pulled up the hood. "Symud" Merlin said and disappeared.

Present time:

Elyan walked around the roof looking around. It was a windy night but else there was not a cloud in the sky. He didn't see the shadow that appeared behind him. It slowly crept closer until it was directly behind him. "Boo," it said and Elyan turned around. A figure was standing directly in front of him wearing a big black cloak. He could swear that it smiled at him before getting into the building. "Arthur! The Warlock is on the roof and he is moving inside fast. Over" He said as he ran after the thief. "Got it. Over" Elyan could hear over the walkie-talkie. Then the thief turned around and yelled "Aros" and Elyan could not move from the spot. "Arthur! Somehow I cannot move" Elyan told his colleague, "The Warlock said something in a language I have never heard before and then I was unable to move. Over"

Arthur stood near the book not knowing what to do. How did the Warlock make Elyan unable to move? He was not unconscious. So how? Then Lancelot started talking. "Arthur! The Warlock must be in the building. But he is moving faster than any normal human. Over" Arthur's eyes flickered everywhere trying to see if there was anybody in the room with him. A voice then said "Rhyddhau". The detective turned around and saw a cloaked figure walking up to the book. He yelled "Get away from the book, thief" and started walking closer to the Warlock. The thief looked over his shoulder and saw Arthur slowly getting closer.

(*)

Merlin smirked under the big hood. He was going to have so much fun this time around. "Good evening Sire," he said bowing for the young detective. Arthur stopped in his tracks and looked at Merlin with a confused look on his face. "Why are you calling me sire?" He asked not moving from the spot. "Have you no clue sire? Such a dollop-head for a lead detective" Merlin answered and turned around to grab the book. Arthur saw that as an opportunity to catch him and ran towards him. "Anfon y llyfr yn fy llaw I Gaius" Merlin yelled as he grabbed the book. The book was then gone. "Where did the book go and how did you do it?" The confused detective asked.

"I could tell you but you would never believe me," Merlin told Arthur and jumped back over the display where the book had been. As Merlin was about to run away Arthur said "Tell me anyway" at that Merlin smirked under his big hood. "Magic" he replied and ran towards the roof again. The young detective was right behind him and he could hear him calling for Percival to come and help him. "I need to free Elyan before I go" Merlin mumbled to himself "Cannot leave the kid stuck on the roof forever". Percival was now in view. He was standing at the other end of the hall waiting for the thief to reach the end of the hall. And it was not like he could turn around. He still had Arthur on his tail. "Window it is then," he thought and then yelled "Creu rhaff sy'n arwain at y to" before jumping out the window.

Merlin looked around before jumping up on the roof. Elyan was still standing where he had been left before Merlin went down to get the book. He walked over to an almost frightened young man. "Rhyddhau," he said as Elyan closed his eyes. Merlin looked at the young detective. Had he ever been out in the field before? It probably was his first time. "I have got to get out of here before the other gets here" Merlin mumbled to himself and left the roof.

(*)

The two detectives stared at each other before running to the window the thief had jumped out of. The looked down but saw no one but the rope was still hanging from the roof. "How did he know that he would have to jump out this window to get away?" Percival asked Arthur. He shook his head and then realised that the Warlock still had not gotten away. "To the roof!" He said and they ran up the stairs.

When Arthur and Percival got up to the roof Elyan was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed and the Warlock was nowhere to be seen. He had escaped and the book was gone. "Elyan are you okay?" Percival asked his college "Are you hurt anywhere?" And the younger detective shook his head. "I'm fine" He assured his friends and added, "The Warlock did not touch me at all the only things he did was say a couple of things that I could not understand." Arthur placed his hand on Elyan's shoulder and said "Let us get home so we can get some sleep. The book will still be gone tomorrow"

* * *

 **Hope you are enjoying the story.**

 **See you in the next chapter**


	5. Chapter 4: Getting the Facts Together

**Greetings folks**

 **I'm back again and here with a new chapter.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **I don't own Merlin.**

 **Now onto the story.**

 **Onwards and upwards!**

* * *

"Morning detectives," Merlin said as he walked into the office with his back over the shoulder. The four detectives sat at the table with a cup of coffee each. "I guess you did not catch the thief" he mentioned as he found a cup and filled it with coffee. A collective groan could be heard from the table. None of them had gotten much sleep because of the heist.

A few hours earlier:

After he had left the Centre he had stopped by his home to get the book from Gaius. The old man had been woken up when the book had landed on his stomach.

His guardian had not been able to move out of the bed since the book was on his stomach. If he had touched the book it would not have turned out well. "Merlin! You don't just send something like that to me without us talking about it beforehand" Gaius told Merlin when he took the book. "I'm sorry Gaius. I was in a bit of a pinch" Merlin said before jumping out the window again. Slowly and in the shadows, Merlin crept to an old building outside of town. He went up to the door and wrote the password. A click could be heard and Merlin opened the door.

"I'm back," He said to himself as he walked in. The place was filled with the artefacts he had stolen since he became the Warlock. "You will fit in around here, where you no longer can do any harm," Merlin told the book. "Maybe I should stop talking to my self" he mumbled to himself. The book was then placed on a shelf with other magical books he had stolen.

"I need to get back and get at least some sleep before going to work later," He said and left the building locking the door behind him. It would be bad if anybody got their hands on the artefacts. There was a reason he had stolen them.

Present time:

"Sorry to start asking questions so early but it is my job and I cannot start working without knowing what happened last night," Merlin said, "So, I know that the thief got away with the book but is there anything new you could tell me about him?" Arthur looked at Merlin and said "He kept calling me sire and said that I was a dollop-head. Whatever that is" before taking another sip of his coffee. Then Elyan added "He was speaking a strange language and somehow he made me unable to move" Lancelot nodded. "I saw it all on the security cameras and he made the book disappear into thin air"

Merlin found a block from his back and started writing the information down. "Can I see the footage of the centre from when you were there?" Merlin asked. It would be a good idea to see if there was anything in there that could give them clues to find out who he was. "Yes," Lancelot said taking a sip of coffee "I will find it when I am done with this cup" Merlin nodded and took his coffee with him to his desk. Merlin picked up the phone and called his friend.

"Yeah?" Gwaine answered with a deep and sleepy voice. Merlin smiled and asked, "Is there anything you might be forgetting?" Though Merlin was not able to see his friend he could just imagine the look on Gwaine's face. "What am I forgetting this time Merlin?" He asked after a couple of minutes of silence and Merlin answered: "You dragged me into this job you really wanted to have and we started two days ago." There was a little silence and then Merlin could hear over the phone that Gwaine was looking through some stuff. It was difficult for Merlin to hold back his laughter. Once again Gwaine had forgotten about a job he had dragged Merlin into. Would that guy ever learn?

As Merlin hung up the phone Lancelot entered the room. "If I can borrow your computer for a moment, I can find the footage for you in no time," Lancelot told the researcher. Merlin found his laptop and handed it to Lancelot. After a few minutes, he got it back with the footage open. "Thanks," Merlin said and started watching.

(*)

"How are we going to catch the Warlock next time?" Elyan asked Arthur once they had gotten more energy. "I have no idea," Arthur told the younger detective. Gwaine then entered the room. "Sorry I'm late," he said and went into the researcher's office where Merlin was sitting. "Maybe I should call Leon and ask for advice" Arthur mumbled to himself. Before he could notice that his cup was empty Guinevere filled it again. "I am sure you will find a way" she assured him "You always have a crazy idea that helps you in the end" she then went back to work sorting the paperwork from last night.

Merlin popped his head out of the office "I noticed something" he said "I would have mentioned it sooner but you know it could be a coincidence that he does it, but I don't think so" The detectives looked at him. Arthur looked confused at the young researcher. What could he have noticed that they didn't?

"Yes?" Arthur remarked.

"The Warlock keeps calling you sire and called Leon sir. Maybe there is something more to it than just nicknames" the raven hair researcher stated. Guinevere smiled. She knew that it would get them to think about something other than the heist last night. It was better for them to move on and think about something else.

"Sire is a way of addressing a king," Arthur thought out loud. How could he be a king? One thing was that his father was rich and he owned a huge company. However, Arthur had no intent to take over the company. Ever. He was happy as a detective.

They sat in silence for a while thinking about what it could mean before Percival asked: "Any of you remember the legends of King Arthur and the knights of the round table?" They all nodded. It was common knowledge. That was when the penny dropped for Arthur. "We are all named after the characters in the legends" Arthur exclaimed. He then stood up and walked into the office where Merlin and Gwaine were sitting. "Get me a list of all characters from the Arthurian legends" he requested before going back. Maybe the Warlock's own name also was from the legends. Else there might be some indications of who he could be.

* * *

 **My exams are over and I am no longer sick.**

 **However, I will soon be moving away from home so I don't have any idea when I will get to the next chapter might be out.**

 **See you in the next chapter**


	6. Chapter 5: Flowers for the King

**Greeting readers. I'm back with a new chapter.**

 **A lot of things have happened during the last couple of months.**

 **Moving out, getting used to a new city and starting university.**

 **However, here I am again. Can't promise I'll update more regularly but I'll try to get another chapter out before the end of the year.**

 **I don't own Merlin.**

 **Now unto the story.**

 **Onwards and upwards!**

* * *

Merlin walked out of the office and down to the underground. He had to get home and start on the research for his next heist. A dangerous necklace had resurfaced and was looking for a new owner. There would be holding an auction where wealthy people would bid on different things. The one he was after was the was called Lifeblood Necklace. It could steal the life energy from the person who wore it and Merlin had to get it before some bought it.

"Gaius!" Merlin yelled when he got indoors. "Do you have any spells that counter something stealing your life energy?" He asked his guardian. It looked like the older man was thinking hard about if he had a book on that subject. He then mentioned "I do not remember but there is a book about life energy. You could read it through" The raven-haired boy nodded and went to one of the bookshelves and took the book labelled "Energy of Life". Now it was time to read about this type of magic.

(*)

"Is there not anything new from the Warlock?" Lancelot asked Arthur. The lead shook his head. The Warlock had not dropped off a new notice in the two weeks since he had gotten away with the old book. In the meanwhile, they had made a list of things that the Warlock could make his next target. Arthur had also been working on another thing. He was trying to piece together how the Warlock and the Arthurian legends were connected. All he had, for now, was that back then a warlock had protected Camelot and all its people from magical threats. That warlock had only been known as Emerys. Some said that it had been a person close to the king who had hidden his magic while others said that it had been an all-powerful sorcerer that had no contact with the king what so ever.

So, Arthur had used all his time to look at the people around him. The people who could be connected to knights were the people closest to Arthur. He found it hilarious that the parallels between the legends and his life were so alike. However, now he was at a pass. Who should he believe when it came to the Warlock. Was it a person close to him or someone he never would meet when not chasing?

He scratched his head. How was he going to find out who the warlock was like this? "You will figure it out" Guinevere assured him. She was carrying a large bouquet of white flowers into his office. "Where did get those?" Arthur asked her and she could tell that he was confused. "Oh, a delivery man came with them he said that they were for you," she told him and then asked with a smirk on her face "Do you have a girlfriend we do not know anything about?" Arthur shook his head and asked, "Is there a card with the flowers?" Guinevere started looking through the flowers and just as Arthur thought there was a card. She handed it to Arthur "Flowers for the king – Warlock" he read out loud "Do you think the flowers mean anything? Or are they just here to mock me?" He asked Guinevere. The young woman did not know what to do. "I'll take the flowers to Gwaine and Merlin maybe they can find out something," She said before leaving his office.

An hour later Merlin and Gwaine entered the office. They had the flowers with them and it seemed as if they wanted to say something. "Yes?" Arthur said looking up at the two. Gwaine took the word. "There are two kinds of flowers in the bouquet and herb leaf. The flowers are edelweiss and chamomile. Edelweiss means courage and or devotion. The chamomile is patience" He told Arthur "It would be the thief's way of saying we that he thinks you are brave to challenge him and to be patient" That was when Merlin cut in "Planning to steal the next thing might be taking longer than he wants it to. The herb is basil and it means glory. It could either be the glory of once again getting away or the glory you will get if you catch him." He nodded it made sense.

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 **I hope you enjoy the chapter. Review if you feel like it. I appreciate all the reviews I get.**

 **Before I end it for this time I would like to address the reviews from Ordalie Gwynfyd and ScarletMoon19 who both noted that this reminded them of the manga Magic Kaito and they were completely right. I am heavily inspired by it as it is one of my favourite mangas and that's where my love for phantom thieves came from.**

 **Sense you next chapter**


	7. Chapter 6: The Lifeblood of The King

**Greeting readers. I'm back again.**

 **As promised here is another chapter of this story.**

 **I don't own Merlin.**

 **Now unto the story.**

 **Onwards and upwards!**

Arthur took his phone and called Lancelot. With a smile on his face, he said: "We got a new notice" he then called Gwaine and Merlin. They needed to find out where the thief would strike.

"Lifeblood? What does the Warlock mean when he says lifeblood?" Elyan asked after they had been looking at the notice. It had said that the thief would be stealing the lifeblood at 21.00. So they knew the time but the item and the place was still a mystery. Gwaine looked up from his computer. "There is this necklace called Lifeblood necklace," He told them "It will be sold to the one who offers the most money"

"That could be the one" Arthur agreed before asking "When will it be sold?" It only took Gwaine a minute to find out that it would be shown at the same time the Warlock was going to steal something. "That has got to be the item" Arthur agreed with Gwaine "Where did you say it would be sold? And how long do we have before they will sell it?"

Two days later:

"Almost everything is in place," Arthur said to the other detectives. An old man walked up to them with a jewel box. "You better take good care of this necklace," He told Arthur as he placed it around his neck "Even if all of you use every single pound you ever made or will make, you will never be able to afford this necklace"

Arthur nodded. He knew that he would have to be careful. The necklace was very expensive but he knew that if his father had heard the man talk to him like that, he would have bought the necklace out of spite. It made him laugh just a bit when he thought about how his father would have reacted to everything that was going on. The man that had placed the necklace around his neck send him a grim look. He did not seem to trust the detectives with the necklace.

The necklace itself was made with a thin golden thread that held the blood red gem in place. With the knowledge, he had of gems he would say that this was a pear cut Siam ruby. Beautiful really. He wondered why the Warlock would go after it. The only thing they could find about it was that the woman who owned it before it disappeared never wore it. The story told that she claimed to feel tired after wearing it for a short while. Of course, that made rumours go around that the gem stole life energy but who believed that nowadays.

As time went on Arthur did start to feel tired but he had been working overtime to be allowed to protect the gem this way. It had been hard to convince the owner that this would be the best way for him to protect it. He looked at his wristwatch and saw that the clock was 20.45. He had now been wearing it for 1 hour and 30 minutes. His eyelids felt heavy for a second but he had to stay awake. At least until they had made sure that the Warlock would not get the necklace.

As the clock turned 21.00 Arthur had some trouble to keep moving as fast as everyone else. His whole body felt heavy and he was out of breath. Normally he would not even feel any different so why was he like this.

Suddenly all the light turned off and all Arthur could see was a slight shift in the air. It was as if a shadow was moving closer to him. He tried to move in the other direction but as he started to move his body gave after under him.

(*)

Merlin noticed that Arthur had collapsed on the floor. The dollop head had been wearing the necklace for a long time. "Got to take him with me" Merlin mumbled to himself. The lights were being turned on again and Merlin had to get away before they noticed that he was sitting but an unconscious detective. The first thought most people would have was that he killed him until they found out he was still alive. He took the detective and went to the roof. They would, of course, look up there at some point but Arthur's life was in danger so the necklace had to be removed as fast as possible without being found out.

He laid Arthur on the roof. Careful not to wake him. It would be bad if the detective saw his face. Then he took a box from under his cloak and removed the necklace from Arthur's neck. He carefully placed the necklace in the box and put it back under his cloak.

That was when the detective woke up. "Stay where you are!" He said with a weak voice "You are under arrest for stealing many valuable artefacts." He then tried to stand up but Merlin gently pushed him back down. "You are low on life energy," Merlin told him "I can help but you have to sit still for a moment. It will not hurt you." The detective looked confused at him and once again tried to stand up. "Fine, we will do this the hard way," Merlin said and once again gently pushed him down. This time he whispered "Aros." Now Arthur would not be able to move until he released him. Merlin then said "Trosglwyddo ynni oddi wrthyf i Arthur"

Arthur seemed to get better as the energy was flowing from Merlin to Arthur. There was just one problem with this solution. The energy Arthur got was taken from Merlin. "Stopio" Merlin gasped after a while. Arthur would be fine with this amount of energy so everything would be fine. It took Merlin a minute or two to catch his breath before he decided to release Arthur. He had to be quick or the detective would arrest him even though he had just saved his life.

"I will release you shortly and then I will be gone," Merlin told the detective who was still unable to move. "Do you really think that I will let you get away with that necklace?" Arthur asked the thief. Merlin smiled under the hood and answered "Of course, but then again you do not have a say in the matter" He then moved closer to the edge before saying "Rhyddhau" and then he jumped off the roof before Arthur could do anything.

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 **I hope you enjoy the story.**

 **Leave a review if you feel like it. I love reading them.**

 **See you in the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 7: He's an Idiot!

**I'm back. I'm done with exams for now and back with another chapter**

 **I hope you enjoy it**

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When Elyan, Lancelot and Percival got to the roof they saw that Arthur sitting there. "I am so glad that you are not hurt," Elyan said as he sat down beside the detective. "My whole body felt heavy and I collapsed on the floor. The next thing I remember is me laying on the roof and the Warlock is talking to me about life energy or something." Arthur told them " Then he said something I a weird language that I do not know and I started to feel better. He was gone not long after" The others stared at him for a moment before they started asking questions. "Was there anything you noticed about his appearance? Or how he acted?" Lancelot asked Arthur. "He speaks English and some language that I do not know," Arthur told them. Though it was one of the things that they already knew. "He did something that helped me get better without question and he is quick on his feet" he added after a minute "And he seems to enjoy teasing me"

The next day:

"Morning detectives," Merlin said when he entered the office. Once again, all the detectives sat at the table drinking coffee. "You can just call us by our first names Merlin," Lancelot told him and gestured for Merlin to sit down beside him. Before doing so he got himself a cup and filled it with coffee. "If I start calling you by your first names when I greet all of you in the morning it would take way too long to say good morning. But did you figure out anything new?" Merlin asked before taking a sip of his coffee. Arthur looked up from his cup and answered: "He is an idiot" and looked down into the cup again.

Merlin looked confused at the detective. "Our phantom thief is an idiot?" He asked, "What does that say about you detectives who has not caught him yet?" There was laughter from the corner. It was Gwaine who was sticking his head out from the researcher's office. Soon the other detectives started laughing as well. Arthur himself noticed that he had just called all of them stupid and his face was covered in a slight blush. Guinevere entered the room to save Arthur from further embarrassment by bringing doughnuts into the office. "I thought you all would enjoy some doughnuts," she said and placed them on the table. Everyone took a doughnut and started eating leaving the room silent for a while before Merlin again asked: "So, did you really not notice anything new about the thief?" He was still curious to hear if Arthur had any new information on him.

"Well," Arthur said as he leaned back "He seemed like a slender person even though he was under a big cloak he seemed thin" Merlin noted it down. Gwaine, on the other hand, said "So we can rule out fat people. Nice" Everyone looked at him without saying anything. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He then asked and Merlin told him "Because you are an idiot. Nothing new"

Then Merlin stood up and went into his office. He had to think about his next heist. With this one, he needed to be even more careful from now on. Arthur had been hurt and if he had been a little slower the detective could have died. That was one of the things Merlin never wanted to happen. He could not let anybody die when there was something he could do.

The next item he was going to steal was the bracelet of luck. Anybody that had ever worn the bracelet had been incredibly lucky. That was where it got its name from. However, all owners died shortly after they required it. Little did they know that the reason for their sudden turn of luck was the bracelet. Whenever you had it on you would be the luckiest person on the planet but when you took it off your luck would turn 180 degrees. Right now, the bracelet was on display so there should not be anybody who would wear it. Merlin needed to plan the heist so that he could steal the bracelet as soon as possible. Before it was taken off display again. If somebody chose to wear it without him knowing he had no way of saving them and he didn't want that blood on his hands.

Merlin knew that the bracelet was being displayed at Charity Tower. They often chose to display items that were rumoured to be magical. That was just to gather a large audience and thereby getting a lot of money. So, despite the name of the tower the people who owned it were very greedy. That would also mean that there was going to be a good security system. Not that it would be a problem for Merlin. With his magic, there were not many things that could stop him. One thing he was looking forward to was giving the detectives the notice. Merlin found it funny to tease Arthur and there were so many ways to do so. The funniest in Merlin opinion was dangling his identity just above Arthur's head. Though with this Arthur would find out it was him sooner or later and that meant that Arthur was right when he called him an idiot.

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 **I hope you enjoy the story.**

 **Leave a review if you feel like it. I love reading them.**

 **See you in the next chapter.**


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